County wins nearly a million-dollar water grant

The grant was awarded as part of $16.3 million community development block grants distributed to 37 communities statewide. The projects, including the Burton Water Extension, were selected through a statewide competitive process and make up part of an annual allocation to South Carolina from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The grants program, which is administered by the S.C. Department of Commerce, stipulates that communities that receive the grants come up with at least 10 percent in matching funds.

Grant winners had to show how they would be ensuring healthy and safe neighborhoods in projects that included extension of water lines to serve residents without public water access, upgrades to existing water and sewer systems and compliance with environmental and health requirements.

Other projects involved developing drainage infrastructure to prevent wastewater overflows and property damage, according to a release from the state Department of Commerce on Friday.